Skip to Main Content
© Mapbox / © OpenStreetMap
College0
Claremont Colleges System

Claremont McKenna College

#15 in Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • Claremont, CA
  • 414 reviews
    A+
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Academics
      A+
    2. Value
      A+
    3. Diversity
      A
    4. Campus
      B
    5. Athletics
      B-
    6. Party Scene
      B+
    7. Professors
      A+
    8. Location
      B+
    9. Dorms
      B+
    10. Campus Food
      A
    11. Student Life
      A-
    12. Safety
      B-
    View Full Report Card
    Claremont McKenna is a highly rated private college located in Claremont, California in the Los Angeles Area. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 1,337 undergraduate students. Admissions is extremely competitive as the Claremont McKenna acceptance rate is 10%. Popular majors include Economics, Political Science and Government, and Liberal Arts and Humanities. Graduating 90% of students, Claremont McKenna alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $55,900.
    About Claremont McKenna College...
    Athletic Division
    NCAA Division III (with football)
    Athletic Conference
    Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
    Address
    888 Columbia Ave
    Claremont, CA 91711
    Branch of
    Claremont Colleges System
    Website
    cmc.edu

    Claremont McKenna College Rankings

    Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

    Admissions

    Acceptance Rate
    10%
    Application Deadline
    January 5
    SAT Range
    1340-1510
    ACT Range
    30-34
    Application Fee
    $70
    SAT/ACT
    Required
    High School GPA
    Recommended
    Early Decision/Early Action
    Yes

    Test Prep

    SAT and ACT Prep Options
    Learn More
    • Affordable, effective, and enjoyable online test prep
    • Guaranteed score improvement with smart feedback and progress tracking

    Cost

    Net Price
    $28,712/ year
    National
    $15,523
    Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
    Average Total Aid Awarded
    $40,673/ year
    National
    $7,535
    Students Receiving Financial Aid
    45%

    Academics

    Professors
    A+
    Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
    Student Faculty Ratio
    8:1
    Evening Degree Programs
    No
    96%
    of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.26 responses
    81%
    of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.26 responses
    68%
    of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.25 responses

    Majors

    Most Popular Majors
    • Economics
      111 Graduates
    • Political Science and Government
      52 Graduates
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities
      41 Graduates
    • International Relations
      33 Graduates
    • Psychology
      30 Graduates
    • Accounting
      23 Graduates
    • History
      18 Graduates
    • Philosophy
      18 Graduates
    • Biology
      15 Graduates
    • Mathematics
      15 Graduates

    Students

    Full-Time Enrollment
    1,337Undergrads
    Part-Time Undergrads
    1
    Undergrads Over 25
    0%
    Pell Grant
    12%
    Varsity Athletes
    40%
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
    Based on 11 responses
    Report
    • Econ "bro" that's probably "studying abroad" in DC
      36%
    • Future consultant hoping to get super rich
      36%
    • Driven
      18%
    • Upper-middle class white boys
      9%

    Campus Life

    Freshmen Live On-Campus
    100%
    Poll
    95%
    of students say they don't have Greek life.22 responses
    Poll
    59%
    of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.32 responses
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes your school?
    Based on 9 responses
    Report
    • Econ Majors
      56%
    • Go-getters
      22%
    • Bros and valedictorians
      11%
    • Super rich kids
      11%

    After College

    Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
    $72,900/ year
    National
    $33,028
    Graduation Rate
    90%
    National
    49%
    Employed 2 Years After Graduation
    92%
    National
    83%
    70%
    of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.10 responses
    Colleges like Claremont McKenna College
    More

    Claremont McKenna College Reviews

    414 reviews
    All Categories
    Where do I begin, I have so much to say about how much I love this school. When I first came to Claremont McKenna, I feared that it would be difficult to make friends as it is such a small school. However, the first day shocked me completely. Everyone was so freaking nice, like unbelievably nice. In the last 3 months of being here, I know about 250/360 kids in my class, and of course a lot of upperclassmen. The party scene here is exactly what I want from a school ,inclusivity, but everyone definitely shares a work hard, play hard mentality. We know how to party, but we also know how to be the scholarly students we got in here for being. The party scene truly is spectacular. The dining hall food is amazing. Sports teams are great as 1/3 of the student body participates in sports There are pretty much a million ways to get involved on campus. I want to continue rambling about how much I love it here, but I also have an econ quiz tomorrow, but I hope that helps. S'GO STAGTHENAS!
    Start Your Review of Claremont McKenna College
    Rate It!
    I am a first year. Adjusting to a new school is never easy, but I've enjoyed my experience so far. My professors are supportive and often available, I have access to six dining halls on my campus and the other campuses in the consortium, and when I had dorm problems, Dean of Students office was quick to respond. I chose this school because of the consortium and because they gave me the most financial aid, although I still struggle financially to pay for college. The hardest part is finding a community I fit in at school. The dominant community is what you'd expect at a predominantly white institution: predominantly white wealthy students, individualistic tendencies, inability to say excuse me, and more. However, there are good people - gems, I call them - and they lighten my day when I interact with them. I hope to meet more of those.
    I love this place more than words can describe. CMCers are unique. Everyone shares the same drive for success and achievement, and everyone truly finds their niche on campus. Whether it's in a sport, in student government, in the Rose institute, in event planning, in KLI, there is something for everyone to get involved and active. The school is everything I want and more. The small classes makes learning so much more interesting; trust me, sitting around a table with 15 other people and talking about government or philosophy is super enjoyable. Socially, it is so ridiculously easy to make friends. Everyone is so friendly and outgoing, you really have to try to not make any. The party scene is fantastic. What other school has a drinking policy like this or would give the student government hundreds of thousands of dollars to plan parties. It's kind of ridiculous, but CMC is ridiculous, and I love it so much.